It’s a Beautiful 100 year old Double Bass owned and played by Bass luminary David Donaldson for the past 35 years, which has been deeply sampled by MODWHEEL to create a Kontakt sample library made up of every conceivable sound you can generate using bows, mallets, chopsticks, brushes, and anything else that came to hand (or foot).
The original concept for the LOWDOWN was to detune the Bass to a low G, 8 semitones lower than its normal low E and record over a minute of low drones on each note over a range of 3 octaves. We then recorded bowed harmonics playing the same notes that can be layered on using a keyboard mod wheel.
The result is a huge variety of rich organically moving drones and pads, that are all at least a minute long performance before looping, from very natural to very messed with.
After achieving this aural triumph, we decided to extend the library to include traditional pizzicato and arco articulations and some more experimental rhythms and impacts. The rhythms are all BPM’d and will play at whatever tempo your session is at.
MODWHEEL’s David Donaldson – “I’ve owned and played this Bass for over 35 years. It has a very distinctive sound, and can generate beautiful harmonics when bowed. It also has a great low sound when detuned”.
What do you get?
The library is divided into 2 Parts.
Part 1 – The BaSsics
PIZZ BASS – Multi sampled with 4 velocity layers, 3 round robins.
keyswitched articulations: Sustain, Short, Semitone Slide, 5th Slides & Harmonics.
Immediate access to Separate Mic & DI/Line level controls via custom GUI.
ARCO BASS – Multi sampled bowed with 3 dynamic layers controlled by the mod wheel.
Keyswitching for Staccato and Expressive
Part 2 – The Extended BaSs
AMBIENCES – 22 patches of drones and pads, from organic to electronic.
Most have layering that can be added, or manipulated using the mod wheel, as well as individual effects.
IMPACTS – 13 patches including “drumkits” made entirely from Bass sounds.
Single events that include the use of mallets, brushes, slapping, chopsticks on every part of the Bass.
RHYTHMS – 22 patches of rhythmic playing.
From live performances to sequencing using Kontakt’s arpeggiator and drum sequencing functions.
